ABSTRACT
Down through the centuries, until our own day, Doctor Faustus has remained Marlowe's most popular play. This chapter argues that the chief interest in Doctor Faustus for Shakespeare lay in its successful dramaturgical strategies. For Marlowe in Doctor Faustus, magic consists of what in the twenty-first century we understand as a combination of science and fantasy. That Macbeth and The Tempest choose to develop such strikingly different aspects of Doctor Faustus shows the extent to which Marlowe's influence became deeply embedded in Shakespeare's creative intelligence. If Doctor Faustus continues to have such a strong impact over four centuries after it was written, it is certainly not surprising that Shakespeare was deeply influenced by the play and that it held a firm, even subtle place in his artistic imagination throughout his career. The origin of Macbeth's desire to become king is ultimately obscure, especially because, he takes so little interest in the kingship once he attains it.
